AS I WANDERED #74 LOONIES

24 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Waldo "Wally" Tomosky in AS I WANDERED

Tags

Adirondack Mountains, Adirondacks, Alfred Billings Street, Bobbet & Hooper, Chateaugay, John Augustus Hows, Loon Lake, Loons

While we were in Chateaugay Jim McFee suggested we go to Loon Lake.

He had heard that it was a beautiful lake and there were some pretty girls whose father’s had cabins there.

That Jim McFee – – – – he sure likes the ladies.

He then said “The real reason I want to go there is to hear the loons.”

I asked him what a loon was.

Jim said it was like a duck but not a duck.

Bogdan pressed him on the issue.

Jim told us that it floated on the water like a duck but it sat much lower in the water. And sometimes it would dive under the water and disappear for a long time. Then it would pop up in a completely different place.

“Sounds like a duck to me” said Bogdan.

“Not at all” said Jim. “It sounds more like a railroad engine slamming on its emergency brakes.”

And then he demonstrated;

“EEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee“

“Why would we want to hear THAT?” asked Bogdan.

“You have to be there and hear it” answered Jim. “It is really beautiful” he added.

So we found a fellow in Chateaugay with a buckboard who was willing to take us there.

And this is what we heard – – – and saw.

It was beautiful – – – in some weird loonie sort of way.

I think that it is not only the sounds that the loon makes but also the evening sun and the context of a peaceful lake. Yes – – – that is it. It is the context. You seem to see everything that nature has given us and are able to put it into perspective.

I almost teared up when I realized what I was experiencing.

But since Jim and Bogdan were sitting next to me I couldn’t let them see me do that.

I don’t know what I was worried about – – – both of them had their heads turned away from me – – – maybe for the same reason.

No wonder Hows and Street made an etching and added a poem.

©W. Tomosky♠

AS I WANDERED #70 HOWS

20 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by Waldo "Wally" Tomosky in AS I WANDERED

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Adirondack Mountains, Alfred Billings Street, Bobbet & Hooper, Christmas in Art and Song, Forest Pictures in the Adirondacks, John Augustus Hows, Nathanial Orr

I thought we should go back and see what Gunther meant when he said “I remember another book that Street was involved with. It was a book by a guy named ‘Hows’; but Street wrote all the poems for that book. It also was illustrated with woodcut prints.”

I should have titled this “Hows & Friends”

Alfred Billings Street added the poems that matched Hows’ illustrations.

Bobbett & Hooper engraved Hows’ illustrations into wood for printing purposes.

The “Bobbett & Hooper” is not a shortcut for Bobbett and Hooper.

That appears to be where history left them; as the team of “Bobbett & Hooper.”

All mention of them ties them together that way.

Now that the introductions are out of the way – – – let us look at the men.

John Augustus Hows was the son of a professor. John lived in New York City his whole life. He was able to travel and visited these Adirondack Mountains and all of the mountains between there and New Hampshire. I have learned that he was a studious young man.

It seems to me that he seemed to change major directions from time to time.

If I remember correctly he studied for the Episcopalian ministry but then changed to become a Catholic layman.

Other changes were in the area of professions.

It appears that John Augustus Hows received his arts degree from Columbia University in 1852.

However, right after that he studied for the ministry. Apparently he was not too pleased with that line of work either. He studied with an office of law but that also didn’t seem to please him. He tried his hand at painting, wood engraving and illustrating.

That appeared to be his calling.

He specialized in sketching and illustrated several books between the 1860’s and the 1870’s.

Hows exhibited at the National Academy of Design from 1861 to 1873. He also exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Association in the late-1860’s. He was an Associate of the National Academy.

John left this earth earlier than most; 1831 – 1874.

But not before he, as an artist, and Alfred Street, as a poet, and two engravers, Bobbett & Hooper, assembled a book about the Adirondack Mountains.

There appears to be little mention of Alfred Billings Street on what we call “history”, yet there is just enough for our efforts.

We can see that he was well accepted by a variety of people and organizations.

He wrote poetry that appeared in several literary magazines and was the New York State Librarian.

Bobbett & Hooper seemed to team up on a variety of books; both adult and children’s.

One of those books is “Christmas in Art and Song.”

This book places the artwork of John Augustus Hows, and the engraving of Bobbett & Hooper” in good company; Raphael, Rubens, Nast and Grandville to drop a few names.

Below is the title page of “Christmas in Art and Song.” It has nothing to do with our conversation – – – other than John Augustus Hows’ name is listed.

My main reason for showing it is – – – well – – – I just like it!

One other gentleman’s etchings/engravings do not appear in “Forest Pictures of the Adirondacks.”

However his works do appear in the above book and several other illustrated Adirondack books. His name is Nathaniel Orr.

Orr also does fine work. But he does not belong in this conversation either; other than as an honorable mention.

Back to Bobbett;

There is not much more I can add to Bobbett. And nothing whatsoever that I can find on Hooper. That is a shame. And there you have the four artists who gave us “Forest Pictures in the Adirondacks.” I may share a few pages with you over the next week or five.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy this.

©W. Tomosky♠

AS I WANDERED #68 STREET

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by Waldo "Wally" Tomosky in AS I WANDERED

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Tags

Alfred Billings Street, Bobbett & Hooper, Devils Pulpit, Indian Pass, John Augustus Hows, Mount Seward, Night Hunting for Deer, The Saranac and Racquette, Waters and Son, Whiteface Notch, Woods and Waters

Once again we had to visit the Scranton Railroad Yard fellow who was in charge of “lost and found.”

But not before we looked through the book that Bogdan had in his hands.

It was beautifully bound and had an introduction that gave all of us “wanderlust.”

I should spend no more time talking about it. There is no way I could say what he said or draw what was in his book.

Oh yes – – – his name – – – Alfred B. Street; just like it says on the title page.

So here is where the wanderlust came from.

These guys, apparently woodsmen, were enjoying an evening around the fire. They were not perfect men but they were enjoying a perfect evening.

And here are the pictures; “illustrations” he called them.

We were talking about the book – – – Gunther had already come down from his perch to see what all the hub-bub was about.

Gunther said “I remember another book that Street was involved with. It was a book by a guy named ‘Hows’ and Street wrote all the poems for that book. It also was illustrated with woodcut prints.”

Then he said “Someday I will bring it in for you guys to see. The woodcuts have the carvers names hidden here and there; just like this book.”

And sure enough, as we reviewed the illustrations there was ‘Waters & Son’; hidden in this corner or that.

Then Gunther made us take the book to the lost and found fellow so he could put it in a box with the rest of the stuff that was never reclaimed.